IFCO Systems, a leading global provider of reusable plastic containers (RPCs) for fresh foods, started its business a quarter-century ago, providing packaging, transport, and display solutions for fresh produce. Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, IFCO is a global market leader, leveraging its pool of more than 270 million containers and 80+ wash facility infrastructure to provide safe and efficient transport of fresh foods to leading retailers around the world for categories beyond fruit and vegetables.
Anticipating a growing need for cross-category cost synergies and an increasing environmental awareness from its customers, IFCO has developed RPCs ideal for deli and convenience which are designed to reduce food waste and ensure freshness and quality at the store.
IFCO’s RPCs provide a number of benefits to retailers and foodservice professionals. IFCO RPCs are:
Additionally, the company has noted six characteristics that set their packaging solutions apart and make them ideal for dairy, deli, and bakery products, including:
Ideal for Higher-Value Foods
IFCO’s RPCs have a smooth base and interior walls to protect prepared meals, sandwiches, ready-to-eat meat and fish, and prepared salads. When the RPCs are stacked, weight is distributed through the container and not the product, minimizing product damage.
Efficient by Design
IFCO RPCs’ ergonomic design make them quicker and safer for employees to handle. Their standard footprint and design makes picking and stacking faster and easier, eliminating the problems associated with variations in single-use packaging.
Protecting Product Quality
Compared to standard cardboard packaging, IFCO RPCs have a clear advantage in humid, wet, and cold-storage conditions. In addition, the excellent ventilation they provide helps maintain product freshness in transit and storage, extending shelf-life.
Ideal for the DC
Picking a mixed pallet is made straightforward by the compatible footprint of all IFCO’s RPCs, which work interchangeably to create a uniform, safe stack for shipment. Unstacking pallet loads is also faster, plus our crates are quick to fold for storage. Overall, their design promotes more efficient processes and makes it easier to apply best practice routinely throughout the DC.
Standardized for Convenience
IFCO’s RPCs are pooled and serviced through the company’s network of service centers, so no investment in washing and maintenance is necessary. Graphics and labels for branding are available, and the crates are compatible with all standard pallets, as well as with other RPCs.
More Sustainable
According to a comparative life cycle assessment of containers conducted by Franklin Associates, IFCO RPCs produce up to 31% less CO2 and 86% less solid waste than one-way cardboard packaging, while using 64% less energy and 80% less water.
For more on IFCO and other important companies in the dairy, deli, and bakery industries, check in with us at Deli Market News.
